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Jaguars Notebook: Offense bounces back; MJD likely to play vs. Jets

The Jaguars appear ready to bring down the curtain on coach Gus Bradley’s first training camp Thursday on an upbeat note.

After two subpar practices in a row, the offense rebounded in the next-to-last practice of camp Wednesday.

And the other positive news was that Bradley said running back Maurice Jones-Drew is making so much progress that he will likely play Saturday night against the New York Jets.

It will be Jones-Drew’s first appearance on the field since last Oct. 21, when he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Oakland.

Bradley said he was really pleased with the showing of the offense Wednesday, a day after tight end Marcedes Lewis told the players that the way they had practiced was unacceptable.

“I thought they came back and competed,” Bradley said. “They refocused and rededicated themselves to the fine details, and it was great to see.

“I felt the difference, and it was a charge. I think it goes back to the routes look crisper. We just had some sloppiness across the board the day before, and I told you through adversity, there’s an opportunity for tremendous growth. I was just really excited to see that they took advantage of the day and captured it.”

The players practiced in shorts instead of full pads, and the defense didn’t appear as intense as usual. Blaine Gabbert completed 13 of 15 passes and Chad Henne 6 of 11. Each got 19 snaps.

Lewis set the tone, catching four passes even though he had limited reps.

Bradley wanted to give him a day off, but Lewis wanted to go.

“I wasn’t about to leave on a bad note,” Lewis said.

He said the fact he spoke up Tuesday didn’t motivate him to want to play. He said he wanted to work on some routes.

“I wanted to get on the same page with Blaine and Chad,” Lewis said.

MJD doesn’t see return as big deal

Jones-Drew’s return will be one of the highlights of the game against the Jets, but he downplayed the significance of his first game action of the season.

“That can’t be the story you’re going with right now,” Jones-Drew said. “I don’t see it’s a big deal. A lot of people come back from injuries. It was going to happen anyway, either next week or this week. I don’t think it’s like someone’s walking on water or curing cancer. We feel this is the right time to take that next step. It’s exciting to get out there and finally get some live reps and play with the guys.”

Jones-Drew hasn’t played much in the preseason in recent years. He missed the preseason games last year when he was holding out and hasn’t carried more than 11 times in the preseason since his rookie year, when he had 28 carries for 130 yards.

Bradley didn’t say how many snaps Jones-Drew will get, but they will likely be limited.

QB decision Thursday

Bradley said he will probably name the starting quarterback for the Jets game after the last training camp practice Thursday.

If Gabbert gets the nod for the second consecutive game, it could be an indication that he will likely start the season.

Gabbert started last Friday against Miami and completed 5 of 10 passes for 19 yards.

Bradley said the quarterback competition doesn’t end when a regular-season starter is named.

“If you think the competition is over [once the starter is named], you’re wrong.” Bradley said. “The competition should be within ourselves to continually get better, and that’s how it is going to be handled.”

When Bradley was asked about the perception that neither Gabbert nor Henne might be the long-term answer, Bradley said, “It’s our job to find the strengths of our guys.”

He said the evaluation isn’t just about attempts and completions.

“It’s how do you bounce back from adversity, how do you hang on to prosperity, how do you lead this team, how are you in individual [drills]. … There’s so much that is involved in this,” Bradley said.